Murtagh takes it easy on Motivator

Everybody was a winner, or so it seemed, as so many members of the Royal Ascot Racing Club packed out the winner's enclosure at Epsom on Saturday after Motivator become the 226th winner of the Vodafone Derby.

Everybody was a winner, or so it seemed, as so many members of the Royal Ascot Racing Club packed out the winner's enclosure at Epsom on Saturday after Motivator become the 226th winner of the Vodafone Derby.

At a racecourse where morning dress remains obligatory for gentlemen in key areas, the winning horse was surrounded by a sea of top hats waving in the air soon after he passed the post.

All the fears surrounding the 3-1 favourite's temperament, the ground, the track and anything else were forgotten by the time the 13 runners entered the home straight as Johnny Murtagh sat cruising in second place with many of his rivals already toiling.

From that point it was so easy for Motivator, who quickened with two furlongs to run and powered clear in a mere matter of strides.

In behind, Dubawi was being held together for a late challenge by Frankie Dettori and appeared to present the only danger to the winner.

But as the stamina gave out on Dettori's mount, it was Walk In The Park who stayed on late under Alan Munro to take second place, five lengths adrift of the winner.

Three lengths further back came Dubawi, while Fracas was a never-nearer fourth, Gypsy King best of the Aidan O'Brien-trained quartet in fifth and Hattan, who had led the winner into the home straight, a respectable sixth.

Following his successes in the race aboard Sinndar (2000) and High Chaparral (2002), Murtagh punched the air with joy as he completed his treble. It was a dream result for the Irishman, who has struggled with weight problems in the past and nearly missed the ride when he picked up a three-day suspension that would have ruled him out of the race.

Crucially, the ban was cut to two days on appeal and Murtagh was able to defer it to start yesterday.

"We didn't go that fast but he was always travelling really well," said the jockey.

"I was just a bit worried that there was no pace early on, but Pat Smullen kicked up on my inside [on Almighty] and then he took me along with Hattan.

"So I was sat in a perfect position in third and coming down the hill it couldn't have been any better.

"It was very easy and he's a very high-class horse."

The win put an end to a stressful time for trainer Michael Bell, whose faith in this colt never wavered.

"I've been waiting 17 years for this moment," he beamed. "Luckily our graph has gone pretty well most seasons, but this just shows that you don't have to be a big battalion to produce the goods."

Next stop for the winner is set to be the Budweiser Irish Derby, with his campaign ultimately geared towards a challenge for the Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe.